Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
This is one of my all-time favorite quick breads. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is quick and easy to put together and it has plenty of versatility so it’s always a hit. It’s perfect for gift giving as well as holiday gatherings, but it’s even better when you save a loaf back for yourself!
I love this pumpkin bread with a bit of butter and a cup of coffee. It’s the perfect way to relax after a busy morning. Oh, and no matter how much you like chocolate, don’t overlook some of the other delicious options mentioned below. One of my favorites is to substitute pumpkin seeds for the chocolate – Yum!
Optional Add-Ins for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread:
If you’re anything like me, you like to have options. Well, trust me, this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is easy to modify to suit even the pickiest of eaters. I love it with chocolate as well as walnuts, but be sure to try it with pumpkin seeds. It’s amazing!
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
To keep raisins and dried cranberries from falling to the bottom of your pumpkin bread follow this easy tip:
In a small bowl, toss the raisins/craisins with some of the flour called for in the recipe. Don’t use extra flour because it will make the bread too dense and dry. Use your fingers to gently toss and separate the fruit so the pieces are uniformly dusted with flour. Any remaining flour can be stirred into the batter. When your batter is ready to transfer to the loaf pan, gently fold in the raisins or Craisins and proceed as usual.
How to Make the Best Quick Breads
Quick breads are popular because they are so easy to make. Basically, a quick bread is any bread that doesn’t use a biological leavening agent, such as a sourdough starter or yeast. Many people are intimidated by making yeast breads, but the simplicity of quick breads is something just about anyone can master.
Rather than using a biological leavening agent quick breads rely on chemical leavening products such as baking powder or baking soda to give them the rise they need. Quick breads might be easy to make, but they also typically require at least an hour for baking, so plan accordingly.
When making any quick bread, such as this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread, it’s important to make sure you’re using the right size pan. Loaf pans come in a variety of sizes and even a small difference in pan dimensions can make a huge difference in how your bread will turn out. If the pan is too small, the batter might overflow and make a big mess in your oven. If the pan is too big, your bread is likely going to be rather flat and possibly overcooked.
Another tip for making excellent quick breads is to not over-work the batter. Once you add the flour mixture, stir just until it’s mostly incorporated. A little bit of flour in the batter is no big deal, but over-working your batter will likely make your bread chewy, tough, and just plain unpleasant.
Always let your bread cool completely before adding any icing or glaze.
That’s it. Get creative and enjoy the process. By the way, quick breads make excellent gifts!!!
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, (white)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or canola
- 2 T milk
- 2 eggs, large, room temperature
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).
Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, milk, and eggs. Whisk together until very smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Gently tap bottom of pan on counter to help release any air bubbles. Bake in preheated oven about 60 to 70 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Start checking early; ovens vary and so will cook times.
- Place pan on a wire cooling rack and let the bread cool in the pan for one hour. Remove bread from pan and continue cooling on wirerack. Make sure bread is cooled completely before slicing.
Notes
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup raisins or Craisins
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
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